Stringed musical instrument



June 9, 1931. J. T. KAUFMAN ET AL 1,809,710

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 13, .1928 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR mw g ATTO R N EY J1me 1931- J. T. KAUFMAN ET AL STRINGEDMUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed July 13, 1.928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 (fakriffafmvINVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented June 9, 1931 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7*JOHN T. KAUFMAN OF MARION, AND CHRIS KAUFMAN, OF YAN'KTON, SOUTH DAKOTASTRINGE'D MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Application filed my 1a, 1928. Serial No.292,567.

This invention relates to stringed musical that are provided with theusual openings instruments and its general object is to profor receivingthe strings.

Vide an attachment for a stringed instru- The strings pass over theupper end of a ment to simultaneously vary the tension of block 4 havingconverging walls forming the 5 the strings for changing the pitch of thetone upper end thereof, and thence the strings thereof so that the toneof a standard guitar are disposed over a series of frets arranged can bechanged from its natural tone to that in the usual manner on the neck,as sugof aHawaiian steel guitar and vice versa in gested in Figures 1and 2 of the drawings. an easy and expeditious manner. In order tochange the pitch of the tone of 1 m A further object of the invention isto the strings and perform the operation quickprovide an attachment ofthe character set ly, we provide an attachment forthe instruforth thatis simple in construction, ineX- ment which includes a base plate 5mounted pensive to manufacture, easy to apply to any by a plurality ofscrews or the like longitu type of musical instrument and is extremelydinally of the neck of the instrument, and in "efficient in operationand service. vertical ears 6 and 6" that are formed with 5' Thisinvention also consists in certain other the sides of the enlargedportion 5 of the base features of construction and in the combinaplatewe pivotally secure a rock plate 7 havtion and arrangement of theseveral parts, ing secured thereto by set screws, a plurality to behereinafter fully described, illustrated of string guides 8, the setscrews being indio in the accompanying drawings and specificated by thereference numeral 9 and pass cally pointed out in the appended claims.through slots 10 formed in the guides and In describing our inventionindetail, refby which the latter may be longitudinally erence will be hadtothe accompanying draws adjusted on the plate as will be apparent,.ings wherein like characters denote like or Each of the guides havejournaled at the corresponding parts throughout the several endsthereof, a grooved roller 11 which re views, and in which: i celve thestrings and guide the latter. These Figure 1 is a side elevationillustrating our rollers 11 eliminate friction on the strings,attachment secured to the neck of a guitar, with the result they willlast for an indefinite 7 with the parts of the attachment in one periodof time. The ear 6 is provided with iti a s an openlng to accommodateone trunnion 7' Figure 2 is a sectional view with parts in of the rockplate 7 which is removably assoelevation and illustrating the parts ofour elated wlth respect to the ears of the enlarged attachment inanother position. portion 5, while the other trunnion? of the Figure 3is a top plan view. rock plate is received in a notch formed in: 35 Fi 4i a d t il i f th b l t the ear and is held therein by a keeper 8 whichfonns 3, part of our invention; 1S plVOtGdtO the 8211' 6 3S SllOWIl ll'lFigure 5 is a similar view of the rock 1 keeper having d p g adaptedplate. 7 to register with an opening in the ear 6 to a Figure 6 is a framentary sectional view recelve Securing means $11011 as a screw to 40 bp illustrating a strlng guide and the manner hold-the keeper m Operatweposition The of Securinq the sqme-ltz) the rock late open ng of the ear6 and notches of the ear 7 w p r 6 and keeper provide bearin openingsfor Referrln now in particular to the drawh b e t e trunnlons 7 wherebythe rock plate is pivlngs, the reference numeral 1 lndicates the I Voted as above set forth. 45 neck of a stringed musical instrument, asThe rock plate/7 is provided with a tilting 95 for example a t r g h11601? means for the purpose of'raising the block mg provlded with theusual string ad]ustas it ill b t d fro i ti f Figing means whichincludes keys having shanks ure 2, the rock plate 7 has its forward erid 2, the latter carrying wonnsengageahle with engaging the block andraises'it in a vertical worm gears to rotate the string shafts 3 planeand in a manner which will'be presently described, the block beingprovided with a horizontal shoulder arranged in the path of the plate 7.Depending'trom the block is a strip 41; which is guided "for verticalmovement in a slot formed in the neck, and while means for effecting therocking movement of the plate 7 to also the block l may be varied, oneform of the means for rocking the plate and which we have tonnde'iil'ective is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the d 'awings. Thisterm .cludes a vertical flat post 12 rising from the rock plate and inwhich formed a slot having a:- rai'iged therein a pin 12-3 c ied by apair of bars 1%: and i l. The slot in the vertical 'i'lat post 12 isindicated by the reference 1 amoral 15, and the bars 14- and 1% haveconnected at their opposite ends at iii, a lever arm 1'? which ismounted on a pivot 18 'ecnrcd between the arms o? a ll ape in cresssection bracket 19, the alter liieine; lined to the base plate throughthe 1119 am of screws or the like.

By this construction, it will, be obvious that by shitting the lever arm'1? from the position as shown in l igure 1,. over a vert l-l are to theposition as shown n Figure L, the plate 7 will. be rocked an 1 :t anupard d movement of the block thereby innulta 1el ously raising thestrings and changing ti o pitch of the notes prcdi'iced thereby. In thisn'iovement, the lever arm 17 "M53593 over the *7 center of its pivot andlocks the plate against accidental n'iovemeut, and during the nuwementof the plate 7, it will likewise be apparent that the rollers 11 provicca sub stantially frictionless engagement with respect to the stringswhich of course results in the advantages as previously set forth.

It will be noted from inspection of Figure 4: that the ear 6 includesthe base portion, having a notch formed centrally therein, and pivotedto one end. of this base portion,- is a section also having a notch w 1chcooperates with the notch of the base port on to provide an openingfor one of the trunnions of the plate 7, the other runnion being orwinged in an 0 .)en. no in the ear 3. Suitable detachable meansen'iployed for holding the section secured in operative position on thebase portion and by this construction, it will be obvione that the plate7 detachable from the ears. 7

It is thought from the foregoing descrip tion that the advantages andnovel features of our invention will be readily apparent Te desire it tobe understood that we may make changes in the constrnction and in thecombination and arrangement of the several parts, provided that suchchanges fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1'. An attachment for a stringed musical instrument and comprising abase plate adapted to be secured to the neck of the instrument, a *ockplate pivotally secured to said base plate at one end. thereof, groovedrollers having connection with the rock plate for movement ther with,and for receiving the strings of the instrument, a block mounted forupward movement with respect to the neck, and receiving the stringsthereon, said block being arranged in the path of the rock plate wherebythe latter engages the same, means for rocl-iing the l'OCl-I plate tolitlit the block, and means for retaining the lifting means in operativeor inoperative positions. 2. An attaclnnent "for a stringed musicalinstrument and comprising a base plate socured to the neck of theinstrument, a rock plate pivotilly secured to said base plate at one endthereof, and hcins tetachable with respect thereto, a block l' avingconverging walls forming the upper end thereof, means in. an upwardplane l 01' arm pivotally receiving said bars, means sea-cred to thebase plate 1.11M, h; vine the cr lrwor arm pivotally secured theretd,and said arm being adapted for moving the bars to rock the rock platethe purpose specified. 3. An attachment for a str'nged musicalinstrument comprising a base plate adapted to be secured longitudinallyof Lhe ncclc of the instrument, ears formed vith the base plate at oneend thereof, a keeper pivotally secured to one of the ears, means fordetachably securing the keeper to its car, id keeper and its ear beingprovided with notches to provide an opening, the other ear beingprovided with an opening, a rock plate having trunnions mounted in theopenings, string guides adjustably secured to said rocl; plate, abloci-c a ranged in advance of the reel: plate and "for receiving thestrings, said blocl; having a shoulder formed therewith and arranged inthe path of the rock plate whereby the latte' the shoulder, a stripdepending from the block and mounted for upward moven'ient in a slot inthe neck, means for rocking the rock pla e to simultaneously vary thetension of the stri to change the pitch of the tone thereoii, and n forsecuring the rock plate rocking means in operative or inoperativepositions.

In testimony wiereof we a'lli); our signatures.

JOHN T. KAUFi. 1 AN. CHRIS KAUFMAN.

